The present invention relates to flapped envelopes of the type having a band of pressure-sensitive adhesive initially covered by a peel-off strip. In use, the user places something in the envelope, peels off the cover strip to expose the pressure-sensitive adhesive, and folds the flap over so that it becomes adhered by the adhesive, thus holding the envelope in a closed condition.
Such envelopes are often used in sets of business forms, and as magazine inserts, for facilitating the making by a recipient of a desired response, e.g. to pay a bill, accept an offer or respond to an appeal.
In manufacturing a conventional envelope of this type, the manufacturer applies a line of glue to a product e.g. a series of envelopes being made in web form, then protects the glue by covering it with a cover strip that is pre-manufactured (usually by others) so as to have a release coating on one side and (optionally) some printing (such as the word "PEEL") on the other side.
Disadvantages: the peel-off strip is made separately and (if purchased from others) bears unimaginative printing, and is applied to the glue line in a separate step, which makes registration a difficult task.